The Arabian Nights - Their Best Known Tales

Nowhere in the whole realm of literature will you find such a Marvel, such a Wonder, such a Nonesuch of a book; nowhere will you find impossibilities so real and so convincing than in the Tales of a Thousand and One nights, also known as the Tales from the Arabian Nights. The scene is Indian, Egyptian, Arabian, Persian; but Bagdad and Balsora, Grand Cairo, the silver Tigris, and the blooming gardens of Damascus, though they can be found indeed on the map, live much more truly in the enchanted realms of these tales.

Herein you will find eleven of the most popular tales, from the original two hundred and sixty four, with color illustrations by Maxfield Parrish. Tales of THE TALKING BIRD, THE SINGING TREE, AND THE GOLDEN WATER, THE STORY OF THE FISHERMAN AND THE GENIE, THE HISTORY OF THE YOUNG KING OF THE BLACK ISLES, THE STORY OF GULNARE OF THE SEA, THE STORY OF ALADDIN; OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP, THE STORY OF PRINCE AGIB, THE STORY OF THE CITY OF BRASS, THE STORY OF ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES, THE HISTORY OF CODADAD AND HIS BROTHERS and all SEVEN VOYAGES OF SINBAD.

Once a child has once read of Prince Agib, of Gulnare or Periezade, Sinbad or Codadad, in this or any other volume of its kind, the magic will have been instilled into their blood, for the Oriental flavour in the Arab tales is like nothing so much as magic.

The editors have purposely shortened the stories so as to keep a child's attention, omitting some of the tedious repetitions that creep in from time to time when Arabian story-tellers were embellishing the text to suit their purposes.